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THE LEVELS OF childhood obesity in Ireland is beginning to stabilise, but remain a major cause for concern according to a new survey released by the HSE in collaboration with UCD researchers.
The Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) shows that around one in five children are overweight or obese, more girls than boys are overweight and children attending DEIS schools are far more likely to be overweight or obese.
Minister of State for Health Promotion, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy said that the “unfortunate truth is that we are on course to become the most obese nation in Europe, unless we take action now”.
Worrying trends
This was the fourth time that the COSI survey has been carried out since 2008. As part of this 2015 survey, 4,909 children from 138 participated.
Since 2008, key trends identified in the COSI survey include the levels of overweight and obesity in children aged 6-12 appear to be stabilising, but not for children in DEIS schools.
Furthermore, there is a marked difference across genders with girls tending to be more overweight and obese than boys.
While, as a whole, levels of children being overweight and obese are stabilising, the numbers are still a cause for concern, according to Sarah O’Brien, HSE national lead for the Healthy Eating Active Living Programme.
She said: “While it is positive that the levels of excess weight in children appears to be levelling off over time, it remains at quite a high level – with at least one in five children carrying excess weight that will damage their health both now and into the future.”
Disadvantaged schools
One group of children where the problem of obesity is not stabilising, however, is in those that attend DEIS schools.
Schools operating under DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) are mostly based in urban, more disadvantaged areas.
The report links economic disadvantage with higher levels of children overweight and obese, and this is manifest in its figures.
Children in DEIS schools tend to have higher rates of overweight and obesity, and the gap widens as children get older:
“A significant way to go”
While there are some encouraging signs, we still have “a significant way to go” according to O’Brien.
She referenced the Health Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025, which was published by government last year.
O’Brien said that the steps proposed in the action plan “require action across multiple sectors” including measures to reduce sugar, fat and salt in food, reduce exposure to marketing of such foods and fiscal measures such as the proposed sugar tax and increasing access to free drinking water in schools.
“In addition to these,” she said, “what we do in our homes, schools and communities to help build healthy habits for all children and families is vital to our efforts to prevent childhood obesity”.
She closed by outlining six habits that children should develop to help maintain a healthy weight into adulthood.
They are:
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Disgraceful company, stole the entire game off of a smaller developer, then sued the original developer for copyright infringement to boot. Complete and utter w*****s
Not a bunch to be trusted.
They also trademarked the word “Candy” in Europe.
Didn’t know that.
And there was me about to post a happy comment, oh well expect the worst and you’ll never be disappointed.
used to play it, got to level 167 i think, never paid a thing cos… its rigged. you could be stuck on a level from repeated play in one sitting, come back 2 days later, clear it right away. they see you’ve not used it in a while, so let you move on again. Got bored of it then. Logged into recently and im back at level 1, think they revamped it or maybe they do that if you stop using it for 6 months.
If you have kids near this, don’t let them pay a cent.
Not with a barge pole! Remember Zynga.
Bain of my life
I heard chuck norris just made it to level 587,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. He is halfway to completing the game.
On level 421 and I never have & never will pay a cent to play! :-)
Level 500 is impossible. I really don’t think it’s possible without buying extra moves or help. It’s the very last level so if you wanna finish the game you’ll have to pay up.
Level 500… Seriously, it’s driving me insane at level 86…
Got past it and on 508 now. There are no last levels, it goes on and on and on, taunting me to keep going or fail!!! Aaaah!!
No. Level 500 is the last level in Candy crush saga unless it haven’t done an update.
Dam it! Just updated it. Not on the last level anymore. Dam you Candy Crush!!
Passed level 500 yesterday after a month . Nightmare level
Hahahahaha, see it never flucking ends!! It’s a diabolical plot!!
My secret shame…..not so secret anymore :((
Feel rather sorry for guy who made Candy Stripe, which King blatantly ripped off and netted loss of earnings as result.
You can still get the original Candy Stripe on Play store.
413 million profits with 12.5% tax! That’s over 51 million to the exchequer. thanks candycrush……… or not?
93 million people with their heads down tutting!!
…mind you, it seems like a little more of a realistic valuation
They’re not giving a valuation as far as I can see though, unless their multiplier is about 1.2 in which case barge pole distance is about as close as private investors are ever likely to get! They’ve just said how much they plan to raise, but no indication of market cap in this article. If the valuation is right they’ll get plenty of interest, lots of m&a in the industry so plenty willing to have a punt in the hope a tech giant might move for them down the road.
Good point(s).
If off to spend my money on cheap hookers so.
Always a sound investment! As long as the return doesn’t involve a trip to James’ of course!
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